Did you know hearing loss is the most prevalent combat-related disability for veterans?
Veterans can learn about hearing loss and how to deal with it by attending an informational fair being held 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at the Hefner VA Medical Center, 1601 Brenner Ave., in the Social Room of Building 6.
The N.C. Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing is partnering with the Hefner VAMC to put on the event. It will include speakers, exhibitors, hearing loss simulations, hearing accessibility, refreshments and more.
Those interested in attending are asked to contact either of these people: Ivy Williams, a hard of hearing specialist with the state agency, at 800-835-5302 or ivy.williams@dhhs.nc.gov; or Randy Campbell, administrative officer of the local VAMC’s Audiology and Speech Pathology Service, at 704-638-9000, ext. 3512 or randy.campbell2@va.gov.
The unclaimed cremains of 15 U.S. military veterans from WWII, Korea and Vietnam will receive proper funerals with full military honors at the Salisbury National Cemetery, 501 Statesville Blvd., at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 14.
The ceremony will be the first that the Missing in America Project has conducted in the state. The cremated remains have been in the care of a Greenville mortuary.
The purpose of the Missing in America Project is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations; to provide honor and respect to those who have served this country, by securing a final resting place for these forgotten Heroes. For more information, visit http://www.miap.us.
The cremated remains will be escorted from Greenville to Salisbury by members of the Missing in America Project Veterans Recovery Program, with American flags flying on motorcycles and vehicles. All veterans’ organizations and members of the public are welcome to be a part of the escort.
The group will start out 6:30 a.m. June 14 from the Walmart shopping center, 4600 E. 10th St. in Greenville.
A staging area to pick up more riders and vehicles at 8:30 a.m. will be at Pilot Flying J,1043 Jimmie Kerr Road, Graham.
The N.C. Housing Finance Agency has expanded the N.C. Foreclosure Prevention Fund to help veterans recently separated from service and military or civilian workers who are currently furloughed or facing an impending furlough.
The state-designed foreclosure prevention program makes mortgage payments for qualified unemployed workers as well as homeowners who have suffered certain other hardships, such as divorce, illness or death of a co-signer, while they look for work or complete job training. The fund has already helped nearly 14,000 workers who have lost their jobs save their homes, and funding is available to assist another 7,000.
For more information, contact Connie Helmlinger, 919-877-5607 or cshelmlinger@nchfa.com; or Margaret Matrone, 919-877-5606 or mamatrone@nchfa.com.
Rowan County Veterans Corner, a website regarding veterans’ issues, news and political commentary, has been launched at http://rowancountyveterans.com/.
Rowan County’s veterans service officers are Rick Johnson and Elaine Howle.
For other veteran-related issues, contact them at 704-216-8138, Ricky.Johnson@RowanCountyNC.gov or Elaine.Howle@RowanCountyNC.gov.
The office is in Rufty Senior Center, 1120 S. Martin Luther King Jr Ave.